The UK could face some food shortages, including chicken and pork, by the summer if the Iran war continues in a worst case scenario drawn up by government officials.
A government source told it was planning for a scenario which would involve the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz and breakdowns in the supply of carbon dioxide. CO2 is used in the slaughter of some animals and in food preservation.
A spokesperson from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs said it would continue to work closely with businesses to tackle the impact of the war.
“Reasonable worst case scenarios are a planning tool used by experts and are not a prediction of future events”, they added.
Food sector leaders have indicated they are more concerned about potential price rises than shortages.
The British Poultry Council said it was “reassured” that the government was establishing contingencies for CO2 if the effects of the war extend that far.
“Our members are not reporting any difficulties so far, but we are monitoring the situation closely,” chief executive Richard Griffiths said.
The British Retail Consortium said it would expect the government “to be contingency planning for all scenarios”, adding that retailers were experienced in managing supply chain disruption.
